


Irenic

by kalkiesoo



Series: Tudor What-Ifs [1]
Category: Historical RPF, The Tudors (TV)
Genre: ...like women?, Arranged Marriage, Character Death, Character Study, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Historical Inaccuracy, Miscarriage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape/Non-con Elements, i'm? sorry??, no beta we die like men, super slow pacing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25422325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalkiesoo/pseuds/kalkiesoo
Summary: irenic(adj.) promoting peaceor in which, arthur tudor lives, and he becomes the king of england after his father, much to henry, the duke of york's displeasure, and now, the course of history has changed, and the tudor court and england are on the way of peace.
Relationships: Catherine of Aragon/Arthur Tudor, Elizabeth of York Queen of England/Henry VII of England, Henry VIII of England/Anne of France, James IV of Scotland/Margaret Tudor
Series: Tudor What-Ifs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841404
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. A Tudor Rose

**February 11, 1503**  
_The Queen's Bedchamber_

Elizabeth of York had done well, had she not? She had delivered her husband, Henry VII of England plenty of children, and while her precious boy, her precious Edward had died in infancy, she still had her three sons, her three daughters, and now, she wad delivering another child.

She glanced at her pregnant belly, stroking it, inside her belly held another prince or princess for her husband and her country, she smiled, humming sweetly to the babe in her belly, ready to come out and meet it's parents, it's older siblings, and it's people.

Then she winced in pain, her back was getting painful, and she seemed to be cramping, the Queen of England sat down on her bed, and began screaming, immediately alerting her ladies-in-waiting that she was about to give birth.

"The queen is in labor!" Elizabeth Boleyn, one of the ladies-in-waiting, exclaimed, "call the midwives, immediately!" She adds, darting forward to aid the queen

And soon enough, the queen's bedchambers were filled with screams as the labour began

_Hampton Court_

Henry VII was currently awaiting his eight child, and once he heard that his wife had began her labour, he had sent for his children, wanting his children to be there for when their new sibling arrived.

He glanced at the heralds by the door, nodding at them, giving them their cue to present to him his children, all of which he had missed, so, so, much, and the herald nods, gesturing at his companions to open the door, and once they did, the royal children entered Hampton Court.

"Your Majesty! May i present to you, His Royal Highness, Prince Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine, Princess of Wales!" He announced, as the eldest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and his wife entered the court.

At the age of 17, Arthur was a Tudor, through and through, he had hair the color of copper, and bright blue eyes that were alike a deep blue ocean you could get lost in. Accompanying him was his wife, aged 18, Catherine of Aragon, who had caramel-colored hair and green eyes akin to a forest.

Henry smiled at his eldest son and daughter-in-law, they both bowed to him and moved to the side of his wife's throne, waiting for the rest of their siblings to enter.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Margaret, Princess of England, and His Royal Highness, Prince Henry, Duke of York!" The herald announced once again, as the eldest daughter of the king and his second son entered the court.

Margaret was already a blooming flower, even at the age of 13, she had auburn curls to match her temper and her eyes shone like sapphires, befitting of a true Tudor. Her brother, aged 12, Henry, the Duke of York, had fair mahogany hair, he had striking blue eyes, almost electric.

As they bowed to him, he nods and smiles, gesturing for them to join their elder brother and his wife, and they did, Margaret immediately conversed with their eldest brother, eager to bond with her siblings before she was to go to Scotland in the summertime, and Henry stared at Catherine of Aragon, after all, he was highly infatuated with his brother's wife.

The herald cleared his throat, capturing their attention once more, "Her Royal Highnesses, Princess Katherine, and Princess Mary, Princesses of England!" He announced once more, as the last of the king's daughters entered Hampton Court.

Elizabeth, his middle daughter at the age of 11, bounded forward and curtseyed to him, her cerulean eyes were full of joy, and her fair honey-blonde curls bounced around her as she did, following her was his youngest daughter, Mary, aged 7, she, like Elizabeth, had cerulean blue eyes, but her hair was auburn, like Margaret's.

Henry chuckled and approached his two younger daughters, embracing them both and leading them towards their older siblings, and now, he was waiting for his last child, and the youngest so far.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Edmund, Duke of Somerset! And the King's Mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby!" The herald announced, at last, they are complete.

Henry's eyes widened in shock at the announcement of his mother, but she was there, carrying his youngest son. Edmund, aged 4 years old was already a very mature boy, his hair was the color of copper, just like Arthur's, but his eyes were a wonderful shade of azure.

"Mother!" Henry exclaimed, approaching his mother, "I was not aware that you would be back at court." He adds, taking Edmund from Margaret's arms and embracing his sweet boy before handing him to Arthur, his eldest.

Margaret didn't seem surprised, "I heard that your wife was giving birth once more and decided to come, hopefully it will not end like Edward again." She replied quite brazenly.

Henry sighed, his mother always brought up Edward, the only child that Elizabeth had ever lost, Edward was born two years after Mary and had died in infancy, a mere eleven days after his birth, Elizabeth had been inconsolable at the time, after all, it was the first child she had lost, though thankfully, a year later, their precious Edmund was born, and Henry was grateful.

That was a low blow, to mention Edward, Henry was displeased at the callous way that his deceased son was mentioned, "Mother, please don't bring him up, besides, I already have three sons, It is enough." He pleads, because Edward is still a soft spot, it is the first child he had lost, and it was a son, nonetheless.

Margaret scoffed, "Very well, but your wife better not fail you again." She sternly retorted, before approaching her grandchildren and patting them all in the head, and giving Catherine of Aragon a huge glare.

As Margaret Beaufort left, Henry sighed in relief, he loved his mother, he really did, but sometimes, she was unbearable, she had shown hate to both his wife and the young Catherine of Aragon, for some odd reason.

"Father, is mother all right?" Arthur asked, his eldest son had always been perceptive, and his question caused his younger siblings to listen in, after all, they too, were concerned for their mother's wellbeing.

Henry gave his children and daughter-in-law a strained smile, "She is alright," he replies, albeit hesitantly, "I have no doubt that Elizabeth will soon be here with your brand new sibling." He reassures them, biting back the concern that he felt, after all, his wife had been in labor for more than ten hours, it was bound to worry him.

Suddenly, one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting ran in, "Your Majesty! The Queen, she has given birth, but... I fear she is not well." She took deep breaths, wary of giving the King such dreadful news.

Henry's eyes widened, "Be swift, maiden! Take me and my children to my queen's bedchambers, at once!" He ordered, the terrified lady-in-waiting fearfully nodding and speedwalking towards the queen's bedchambers, the King and his children following her.

They had arrived to a wailing babe in the arms of the midwife and a weakened queen that lay on the bed, Henry was quick to kneel beside the bed, "Sweetheart, my dearest Elizabeth, are you alright?" He asks, his tone tinted with concern, and behind him, Arthur is talking quietly with Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth and Mary, explaining the situation while Catherine consoled the tearful young Edmund.

Elizabeth of York smiles weakly, "Of course," She replied, "I'm fine as always, dearest." her voice had significantly weakened, it was hoarse, quiet, so unlike how she usually sounded, and Henry was concerned.

He reached over to feel her forehead, and grimaced at the heat, "I expect you to make full recovery, as always." He murmurs, kissing her forehead, before glancing at the newborn babe, surrounded by it's siblings.

"Mother, what's the gender? And the name?" Margaret asked, curiosity seeping into her tone as she looked at her adorable new sibling, Edmund was now clinging to her leg, since Catherine had decided to try and pick up the crying baby, Arthur smiling at her side and Henry, Elizabeth and Mary stared at her for her courage to do so.

Elizabeth smiled, glancing at her children and daughter-in-law, "It is a little girl, and I have decided to name her Katherine, after you, Catherine." She responded, looking proudly at her daughter-in-law, despite her weak condition.

Catherine looked flustered, "I- Thank you!" She exclaimed, smiling with enthusiasm, after all, the queen decided to name their child after her, "May you and the child live and prosper well!"

That victory is short-lived, for a mere three days later, Elizabeth of York dies due to childbed fever and the court is in mourning, and eight days after that, the newborn baby Katherine dies in infancy and is buried next to her brother, Edward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1483 words
> 
> wow, that's a lot, i usually write chapters with 900-1200 words, but never 1400+, how shocking.
> 
> this chapter is more descriptive since it's the first one, but the chapters following this will move much quicker and be more dialogue based.
> 
> side note: i changed a lot of dates and changed a few deaths and such, this is not historically accurate.
> 
> you all may be wondering about anne of france, henry's betrothed, and no, she is not anne boleyn. i looked at the dates of all the children that anne of brittany had with charles viii, who was louis xii's predecessor, and i noticed that they had a daughter named anne of france that was born in 1498 and died at the day of her birth, so i thought, what if she lived? would she have been henry's betrothed? so, that happened. anne of france is the daughter of anne of brittany and charles viii, hope that clears things up!
> 
> thanks for reading, please comment and remember that the updates come once a week!


	2. A Boleyn Affair

**February 25, 1503**  
_Hampton Court_

It had been days since the death of the queen and the youngest princess, and the entirety of England had been in mourning. The King had ordered a grandeur banquet for the celebration of the wedding of his eldest daughter to the king of scots.

Charles Brandon was currently drinking alongside his friends, he was still young, after all, he was only 19, and his wife, Anne Brandon was at home with their children, little Annie and Mary. He was looking for another conquest, another woman to bed, to pleasure, and he believed that he had found her.

He approached one of the ladies-in-waiting that the queen had had, though, he supposes that she was no longer a lady-in-waiting, for her mistress was dead. He stopped in front of her and smiled, "My lady, shall we dance?"

Elizabeth Boleyn glanced at him, of course, she was aware of Charles Brandon and his numerous affair, his wife, Anne, had often complained about it, but she and her husband had had a huge fight the week before, after he had bedded her, so pardon her, if she was willing to dabble in adultery.

"Of course," Elizabeth relents, taking his hand, "but is dancing all that we shall do?" She asked, her dark hooks for eyes capturing him.

Charles smirks, and off they go, first, to dance, and at last, to sleep with each other.

As they headed off to enjoy each other's company, the current royal family were conversing with each other.

Henry smiled at his remaining children, Margaret had just recently been sent to Scotland, after all, now, she was queen there.

Mary bit her lip, "Lizzie, Harry, why does Margaret have to go to Scotland? Can't she stay here with us?" She asks, staring at her older siblings.

Elizabeth exchanged looks with Henry, She didn't know how to explain that Margaret needed to go to Scotland, perhaps Mary wouldn't understand, she silently gestured for Henry to take over and explain.

As Mary glanced at the both of them, Henry sighed in slight frustration, he forced a smile and knelt down to Mary's level, ruffling her hair, he says, "Mary, listen to me, Margaret needs to live in Scotland because that's where she's going to be queen, don't worry, Scotland is next to England, she'll be nearby!" He reassures, before rising to his feet.

Mary didn't seem reassured, but she sullenly nodded, "Okay..." She murmured.

Elizabeth smiled and sighed in relief, thankfully, Mary did not feel the need to make use of her Tudor tantrum, she then averted her gaze and stared at her two other siblings, an older, and a younger brother.

Arthur was gleefully playing with Edmund, He always had a soft spot for children, after all, and Catherine was by his side, perhaps she was practicing being a mother? 

Elizabeth smiles before joining the conversation that Mary and Henry were having, jokingly playing around with her siblings.

Henry VII stared at his children, and he smiles. Elizabeth had given him such beloved children, he pursed his lips and closed his eyes, his Margaret was in Scotland, far from her siblings and all alone, his Edward had died long ago, and now, his brilliant baby boy was joined with his mother and his lovely baby sister.

Next to him, his mother, Margaret, frowns, "Henry, it has been eleven days since the death of your..." She had wanted to refer to Elizabeth of York as insolent, but Henry may not take that kindly, so she chose to reassess her words, "...wife, and it has been six days since the death of Princess Katherine, perhaps your remaining children are in need of a new mother, and your kingdom in need of a new queen." She suggests. 

Henry stiffens, "Mother, surely you are not suggesting that I replace Elizabeth? She will forever be my wife, I shan't replace her..." He sternly says.

Margaret sighs, "Henry. Listen to me, this country cannot be queenless and your children motherless, you will marry someone, Henry." She berates him.

Henry frowns, "They will not accept a new queen, nor a new mother, neither will be accepted." He argues.

Margaret scoffs, "Stop making excuses, Henry. I have left four documents on your desk, detailing four princesses that may interest you, I expect one of those four to be queen before this year ends." She tells him, before walking off to dance with one of the nobles.

Henry stares after his mother, before shaking his head and glancing back at his children, he sighs, his mother was right, his children do still need a mother.

He purses his lips, and ignoring the mingling of nobles, he heads to his study, glancing over at the letters that his mother had left him.

Wary of taking on a new wife, so soon after his Elizabeth's death, he opened the letters, and murmured each name under his breath.

Isabel of Viseu, She was 44 years old by now, and she had two children, two sons, older than Arthur, she didn't seem all bad, she was previously married to a duke, but overall, not bad.

Anne Vasilievna, She was 45 years old by now, still unmarried, and it was said that she had almost died two years previous, she was the only daughter of Vasily II of Moscow, and she had been regent before.

Anna Karlsdotter, She was 53 years old, and widowed with no children, which says loads about her fertility, She was supposedly a Swedish princess, yet her legitimacy was openly questioned, not a good start.

Eleanor of Austria, the youngest so far at age 15, She was unmarried, of course, young, she was also Catalina's niece, the daughter of Joanna of Castile.

Henry stared at all four portraits and descriptions, determining which of these that he should marry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 924 words
> 
> comments would be a nice way to show your support, thanks for reading!
> 
> side note: the topic of henry vii's new wife wasn't supposed to be added, not really, but i decided that this may be a new thing to experiment on, so i took four women from history, changed a few dates and here it is.
> 
> i'm leaving the choice of who henry's wife should be to you guys, from the four women, the paths diverge.
> 
> i can assure you that if henry vii marries isabel of viseu, it would be the most dramatic, if he marries anne vasilievna, it would be a normal path, not much would be affected, marrying anna karlsdotter would cause a fair bit of drama and some tensions while marrying eleanor of austria is, while less dramatic, is quite meaningful.
> 
> thanks for reading, and once again... please comment!


	3. Margaret of Scotland

**February 26, 1503**  
_Richmond Palace_

Margaret stares out the window of Richmond Palace, she sighs loudly, slumping over her chair and ignoring the handmaidens around her.

Yesterday was her supposed marriage to James IV of Scotland, but he sent another man there instead as "proxy" and needless to say, Margaret was not happy with it.

She was 13, not stupid, she knew that marriages were supposed to be between husband and wife, not wife and proxy.

She lets out another sigh, staring at the flowers, remembering how she had stared at the proxy, asking him if he was her new husband, and turning red when he said that he was not, about how she awkwardly glanced at the handmaidens there with her, complete strangers.

Margaret glanced at another person in the room, Patrick, Earl of Bothwell, the proxy, and she cleared her throat, as if to require his attention.

Patrick looked at her and pursed his lips, "Yes, Your Majesty?" He asked, For Margaret was now the Queen of Scots and no longer just simply England's princess.

Margaret sweetly smiled at him, "When will I get to meet King James?" She asks, curiosity gleaming in her eyes, after all, the king was now her husband, she was now queen, she has to meet him, right?

Patrick thought about it, "Well, Your Majesty, King James still needs to think about which lands and houses would be under your possession in Scotland, after all, It must be befitting for a queen, correct?" He replies, after making sure that his words would be understandable for the young queen.

Margaret slowly nods in understanding, "So, he won't visit me here since he's busy?" She asks.

"You could always just visit him in Scotland." 

Margaret hesitates, she was still unsure about going to Scotland, her mother's death was still fresh in her mind, and she instead replied, "Maybe in a few months, It's too soon." 

Patrick nods in understanding, having heard of the Queen of England's death, and in an offhanded way, he says, "I heard that some the King's remaining children might be visiting you, I heard rumors that they are curious of getting a stepmother, even before your marriage to their father." 

Margaret raised an eyebrow, "Really?" She asks, her interest had been piqued, "Are they the previous queen's children?" She asks.

He raises an eyebrow, "Your Majesty, you are the King's first wife, the King's children are all from his mistresses." He nonchalantly says.

She nods in understanding, "Okay," Margaret tries not to sound too excited at the prospect that the king's children might be visiting her, then she adds, "You can just call me Margaret, you know? We'll be here for a long time, Let's at least be friends." and friends use each other's first names.

Patrick looks amused at that, "Very well, Queen Margaret."

She scowls, "Drop the title, just call me Margaret." She insists.

He chuckles, "Okay, Margaret."

Margaret beams at him, showing off her childlike innocence, "See! That's much better!" She exclaims.

Patrick only says, "Whatever you say, Margaret." But he was obviously smiling.

Margaret laughs, the day had started with her being annoyed by the fact that her husband didn't even show up to their marriage and had sent a proxy and now, she was joking around with the proxy like old friends, her day had obviously gone for the better.

**March 5, 1503**  
_Edinburgh Castle, Scotland  
King James's Bed Chambers_

James, tired from a long meeting with his ministers concerning his new wife and her new possessions in Scotland.

This was his first wife, after all, This was the first time he would be doing something like this, and It was a headache, to say the least.

He thought of his new wife, Margaret, who was younger than him by 17 years, they obviously would not be able to bear any legitimate heirs to the throne until she was older, and of course, she may prefer to stay in England while in minority, even if she was Scotland's Queen and the people of Scotland might not understand her staying in England for more than a year.

A loud knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and James stood up, "Come in." He says.

The door opened to reveal a boy and two girls, James' eldest children by his mistresses.

His eldest son, Alexander, was 10 years old and had inherited his father's dark brown hair and his mother, Margaret Boyd's emerald green eyes.

Catherine, his daughter by Margaret Boyd, was 8 years old and looked identical to Alexander in every way except for her short stature.

The last of the trio was his daughter with Margaret Drummond, a 6 year old little girl named Margaret, with ebony black hair like her mother's and amber brown eyes like her father.

His two youngest, James, son of Janet Kennedy and aged 4, must be in his classes and his youngest, Janet, his daughter with Isabel, aged 2, must be in her nursery.

James smiles at his children, "And what brings the three of you here?" He asks, ruffling Alexander's hair.

Alexander bit his lip, "Papa, Me and Cathy and Marge was just wondering about our new mama." He hesitantly says.

He feels his heart tighten, because of course, his children would think that, Margaret Boyd was still in court, and he had assigned for her to be one of his new wife's handmaidens at her own insistence and who was he to refuse Lady Boyd of her request.

And of course, Margaret Drummond, someone he considered to be the love of his life, someone that he would have married if not for her death by poisoning two years previous.

He knelt down to their level and asked, "And what of it, Alexander? She's still in England because her mama died," He turns to face Margaret, "Just like your mama, and she has the same name as you and your mamas." He tells them.

Catherine decided to take charge as Margaret meekly smiles, happy at the prospect that her new mama had the same name as her, "Papa, we want to meet her." She boldly says.

If James was shocked with Catherine's boldness, he did not show it, "Of course, you may go to England in a month's time to meet her, though, do be careful, she is not much older than you." Hw warns them.

Alexander, Catherine and Margaret beams at him, as if that was all they wanted, "Thank you, papa!" They exclaim, before leaving his room.

James smiles, closing the door, deciding that he wanted to settle whar possessions in Scotland his wife would get sooner so that she would get here faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1117 words
> 
> ~~almost forgot to post this o o p s -~~
> 
> side note: margaret being a moody teen because instead of the king, he sends a proxy is such a mood.
> 
> and no, margaret isn't gonna fall in love with patrick, they're just gonna be friends, don't judge me oml
> 
> idk what to type really so... please comment and leave a kudos? thanks for reading!


	4. Catalina's Troubles

**March 10, 1503**  
_Greenwich Palace_

Catalina Trastámara, more commonly known in England as Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Wales, had a problem. Actually, she had multiple problems, none of which were getting solved at all and it was slightly driving her mad.

For one, her husband, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, refused to bed her. They would sleep in the same bed at the same night, but that was all that they would do, sleep. Arthur had not laid a hand on her except for chaste kisses and she didn't know if she should be flattered or not.

In the morning, Arthur would brag about how he had been in Spain the last night, but when nighttime came, he would refuse to bed Catalina, telling her that he was not ready yet, that he would sleep with her soon, not specifying when it would be, of course, Catalina could always seduce him, but that meant that she would have to use vile tricks to get her husband to sleep with her.

Fine. Catalina could deal with that, sooner or later, Arthur would bed her, she could probably wait for it, after all, it was bound to be later this year or the next year, she was still a young girl, they had plenty of time to make heirs, besides, Catalina was not queen yet, she didn't need to have heirs yet.

Another problem she had was Margaret Beaufort, the King's mother and her grandmother-in-law. Margaret seemed to have extreme hatred for Catalina, and she not why.

Catalina knew that it was disrespectful to wish death on someone, but Lady Beaufort was really testing her patience.

Whenever she saw the Countess of Richmond and Derby, Margaret always had something to say about her. Comments like, "I don't know why my son married Arthur off to a Spaniard that-" "You must restrain yourself for you are not in Spain and-" "Do not talk to me like that when you have not yet done your duty, you-" really stung a lot, but when the older woman made jabs at her supposed infertility when Arthur had supposedly bedded her every month was the one that hurt the most.

She was not infertile, Arthur didn't bed her every month, he actually has yet to bed her at all, that was the reason that they had no heir yet, it was not her fault, it was Arthur's, but of course, she couldn't say that lest she be okay with her grandmother-in-law slapping her in the face.

Truly, Margaret Beaufort was her most dangerous enemy at court and Catalina wonders if this was how Elizabeth of York felt at times, because if Margaret Beaufort has a less than desirable personality with her, then that must meant that she must have been downright evil towards Elizabeth of York.

Though unbeknownst to Catalina, she was wrong and Margaret actually liked Elizabeth for giving Henry three sons to continue his legacy, but how was Catalina supposed to know that, it wasn't like she went out of her way to actually talk to both Elizabeth of York and Margaret Beaufort, she simply judged them without truly knowing them.

Lost in thought, She didn't notice her lady-in-waiting and close friend, Maria de Salinas, enter the room.

"My lady," Catalina turns around as she hears Maria's voice, the other spanish girl had a smile gracing her face, "The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York is here to see you." She says, as the two princes of England enter her room.

Catalina brightens up at the sight of her husband, "Arthur!" The Princess of Wales exclaims, as her husband places a chaste kiss on her cheek, "I was not expecting you nor Henry to be here." She murmurs, glancing at the scowling duke.

Henry, miffed at the fact that his older brother was not only married, but also able to kiss and hold the woman he loved at any moment, merely nodded, "Arthur wanted to see you and I merely tagged along." He confesses, looking away.

Glancing at Henry, Catalina could feel a headache, because Henry was problem number three. She knew, of course, that Henry had taken a liking to her, but she had wished that it would have gone away since his bethrotal to that vile Valois princess was announced.

Catalina was flattered, truly, but she was already married to Arthur and loved him dearly, and while she truly despised the Valois and disliked the fact that Henry was to marry one of them, she had hoped that he would fall in love with that Valois princess instead of her.

Arthur cleared his throat, garnering the attention of both Catalina and Henry, "Yes, after all, I missed the company of my sweetest wife and long to be within your affections, my rose." He wraps his arms around Catalina's petite body as the spaniard giggles and smiles, her adoring gaze planted firmly at her husband's loving gaze.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Henry was seething with slight rage at the sight of the couple in such a loving mood.

"Well, I shall take my leave, brother, sister-in-law." Henry grits under his teeth, leaving Catalina's quarters, wishing that he was the one that was married to Catalina, that he was the one that was going to be king, and for the first time, Henry wished that the plague had taken his older brother when he had gotten sick, then maybe perhaps, he would be the one in his place, next in line to the throne and with a lovely spaniard wife in Catalina instead of having to marry a princess from France that surely will not be comparable to the lovely Catalina that he longs to have.

Both of them nodded, not even looking at him to notice the anger in his gaze, not really hearing the tone that betrayed his true feelings, they were simply too focused on each other, lust enveloping their gazes as their bodies pressed against each other.

"Tonight, I will bed you, dearest Catalina"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1007 words
> 
> me: writes this in 2am at paper because my phone got taken away  
> also me: a aa h im so l azy
> 
> side note: yes i know her name is catherine but im spelling it as catalina because she still sees herself as the spanish infanta rather than the princess of wales, shes still pro-spanish and is definitely spreading her hatred of the french.  
> henry (viii) does hate arthur for being the one to be king and to marry catalina so hes definitely jealous of him + power hungry, wonder how thats gonna go lol
> 
> also- commenting would really help me here btw, thanks for reading tho <3


	5. Of Stewarts and Expectancy

**May 19, 1503**  
_Richmond Palace_

"Your Majesty!" Patrick had called out to the young scottish queen, and once Margaret had turned around, giving him her full attention, he added, "Your step-children are here." 

Margaret's eyes widened considerably as she clapped her hands with delight, "Brilliant! I shall await them in the Great Hall!" 

As Margaret bounded down the stairs of the Great Hall, the doors of Richmond Palace opened and as her stepchildren entered, Margaret realized that she was just barely a few years older than they were.

"His Grace, Lord Alexander Stewart, son of His Majesty, James Stewart, King of Scotland!" was announced, and the eldest of James' illegitimate children entered Richmond Palace.

If Alexander was displeased with the way he was referred as, the young child didn't show it, already quite mature despite his young age of 10.

Margaret was barely three years older than him, could she really be a mother figure to him?

Alexander stopped before her and bowed, "My lady step-mother." He greets respectfully, and Margaret curtsies back, giving him a warm smile.

"Lord Alexander, I hope the trip wasn't too tiring." Margaret replies, sweet words not matching her scrutinizing gaze

He purses his lips together, but says nothing, merely moving to the side and awaiting his other two siblings, leaving Margaret to wonder if she did or said something that displeased him.

The herald then proceeds to announce: "Her Grace, Lady Catherine Stewart, daughter of His Majesty, James Stewart, King of Scotland!"

James' eldest daughter walked in and immediately sized her new step-mother, staring at her and narrowing her gaze every once in a while.

Catherine was eight, not stupid, her papa should he marrying her mama, not this girl that was barely older than she was, besides, she was royalty already, a princess, her mama wasn't and so, her mama deserved to be the new queen!

She wasn't like Alexander, who came here in hopes of getting into their step-mother's good graces, hoping that she wouldn't be cruel to them, she didn't have his flawed optimism and stupid naivety. She wasn't like Margaret, coming here because she was looking for someone to replace her dead mother, as if she could find a mother in a young princess barely older than her. She huffs, for her siblings were idiotic and hopelessly in love with the idea of a new mother.

She stops in front of Margaret, and stiffly nods her head, "Madam." She greets sharply, as if she was already showing her distaste.

Margaret's smile drops into a frown, her gaze becomes cold and the Tudor temper is released, "Lady Catherine, I would suggest you watch your tone, for I am England's Princess and as of now, also Scotland's Queen, you may be the daughter of it's king, but you are beneath me, and I suggest you follow court protocol." She arrogantly says.

Alexander seemed taken aback there, both at his sister's bold actions and at how such a sweet girl like his new step-mother suddenly turned irate and indignant. 

"You have just proved why you're not worthy for the throne and why my mother is." Catherine murmured under her breath, barely audible.

Margaret didn't hear it, but she impatiently snapped her fingers, "Did I stutter, Lady Catherine? You should bow and address your queen properly." 

Catherine grits her teeth and sinks into a bow, "Your Majesty," She murmurs, before rising from her bow and joining Alexander as they waited for their younger sister.

Margaret narrowed her eyes at Catherine as she joined Alexander, That girl is dangerous, She thinks, and needs to kept an eye on.

The herald awkwardly coughs into his fist, finally presenting the last of Richmond Palace's visitors, "Her Grace, Lady Margaret Stewart, daughter of His Majesty, James Stewart, King of Scotland!" 

Margie, with all the grace of a six year old, walked the halls of the Great Hall, and as she stopped in front of her namesake, she dropped into a curtsey, and the first thing she said was-

"Can I hug you, step-mother?"

All her anger melted into her shoes, and Margaret gave her a dazzling smile, "Of course!" She replies, after curtseying to the younger girl.

Margie surged forward and hugged Margaret, the older smiling as she hugged her back, unbeknownst to her, Alexander was gleefully smiling at the cute sight and Catherine was glaring daggers at her.

**June 11, 1503**  
_Hampton Court_

The next time that Charles Brandon saw Elizabeth Boleyn, it was glaringly obvious that she was pregnant. Heavily pregnant.

Charles stared at her for a good minute before Elizabeth had decided that she had enough and she dragged Charles to an empty hallway.

"Is it mine?" Was the first thing that Charles asked. He was expecting a refusal, reassuring that it was her husband's, but instead, he got-

"Yes." Elizabeth admits, "It is yours," Charles looked so worried, that Elizabeth was quick to add, "But fear not, I have convinced my husband that it was his child, so you have nothing to worry about."

Charles breathes a sigh in relief, he never thought that he would get someone other than his wife pregnant. 

"What are we going to do?" He asks, worry tinting his tone, for this was his first child out of wedlock and he was generally worried.

Elizabeth huffs, crossing her arms, "My husband is convinced it is his child, so he will surely take care of it," then she hesitates, but eventually, she does add, "I'll send you various letters about them when they are born, and as to not appear suspicious, you'll be a godfather." She declares, not leaving any room open for discussion.

Charles visibly wilts, "And the child's name?" He asks, almost inaudible.

Elizabeth scoffs, "If it's a boy, Charles, for you, and if it's a girl, then Anne, for your wife."

He hesitantly tests the names out loud.

"Charles Boleyn or....."

She looks at him expectantly, telling him to continue saying the name at his lips.

".....Anne Boleyn."

**June 21, 1503**  
_Greenwich Palace_

It is dinner at the palace, and currently, Catalina and Arthur are dining together, none of the others there to disturb them.

Catalina was chewing on an apple, the ninth time this week, and Arthur chuckles.

"You seem to always be eating an apple these days, my wife." 

Catalina grunts, "Well, perhaps it is because I am craving it, my husband." She retorts, biting into her apple.

Arthur stares at her in disbelief, "Is it possible that you are...." He trails off, trying to express what he was attempting to say.

Catalina smirks, "Yes, husband, It would appear that I am pregnant." She proudly says, because now, she could prove to Margaret Beaufort that she wasn't infertile, and that old lady would finally silence herself around Aragon's Infanta.

Arthur beams and smiles, standing up and immediately draws her into a hug, "Thank you, Catherine! The Tudors are truly blessed!"

Catalina smiles back, almost cockily, "Your welcome, dearest husband." But it is Spain and the Trastámaras that are truly blessed, and we will cleanse the Tudor bloodline.

England shall forever be tied to Spain, and France shall always fall beneath us. It is God's will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1200 words
> 
> w h o o p - thats a long chapter, i really tried to squish three events in one chapter and miserably failed, damn me.
> 
> sidenote: catherine and margaret are definitely gonna be rivals. and of course, margaret boyd is margaret tudor's lady-in-waiting, so scotland is gonna be a huge shitfest between the three of them, poor james.  
> and yesss, anne boleyn is gonna be born soon, and catherine is pregnant with her first child! amazing right.  
> henry's new wife is also gonna be decided next chapter, im still partially undecided but meh.
> 
> thanks for reading, please leave a comment and kudos!


	6. Chapter 6

**August 5, 1503**  
_Richmond Palace_

It was early in the morning, and the sun had barely risen.

Margaret, Queen of Scots, stood in front of the door to her carriage, staring one last time at Richmond Palace, her home for the last few months.

In another carriage was her belongings that she wished to take to Scotland, as well as a few loyal english ladies that would accompany and serve her there.

"My Queen," Patrick says, from where he was opening the door, "You need to get in the carriage now so that we may depart."

Margaret glances at him, then she nods, "Of course, Lord Patrick." She murmurs, entering the carriage and seating herself next to the window.

The next to enter the carriage was young Margie Stewart, sitting in front of her with a bright grin.

She smiles at the younger girl, and asks, "Are you excited to return to Scotland?"

"Yes!" Margie responds quite loudly, "You'll finally meet papa and live with us!" 

Margaret simply nods, masking her nervousness with muted enthusiasm.

"My lady step-mother," greets Alexander as he enters the carriage, "My sweet sister," He adds, directing it to Margie as he sits next to his sister.

Margaret looks at Alexander and chuckles, "Lord Alexander, Is flattery all that comes out your mouth?" She asks, Margie nodding excitedly as if to support her.

Alexander laughs, "dear step-mother, I was simply complementing the two of you." He jests, eyes glittering in amusement as he continued joking around and teasing both Margaret and Margie.

After a few minutes of the three of them having fun, Margaret notices that Catherine had still not shown up.

"Alexander."

Alexander blinks and looks at her, a questioning gaze on his face, "Yes, what is it?" He asks.

"Catherine." Margaret merely murmurs.

"...My sister Catherine?"

Margaret nods, "Yes, your sister Catherine, Where is she?" 

Alexander looks around and he says, "I'm afraid I do not know, perhaps she is still inside the Richmond Palace?" He suggests.

Margaret purses her lips, "Lord Patrick."

"Yes, My Queen?"

"Find Lady Catherine and bring her here, we cannot afford to be late."

"Of course, Queen Margaret." And with that, Patrick had gone back inside Richmond Palace in search of the wayward lady.

He returned with Catherine a few minutes later, the wayward lady dressed in clothes that seemed more like clothes fit for Margaret's status.

She was openly trying to outdress the new queen of Scotland as they returned home, she was trying to prove a point and Margaret didn't like it.

"Lady Catherine," Margaret greets, her tone icy cold as Catherine sits next to Alexander.

Catherine merely glances at her and swiftly says, "Majesty, Alexander, Margaret." before averting her gaze, as if the three of them were worth nothing to her, as if she was of higher status than them.

Catherine was trying to outshine Margaret to show Scotland that the new queen was no better than her, that she was better than the new queen.

Margaret's expression turned stone cold, but she said nothing, after all, she had been used to Catherine treating her like this and she knew that it would only make things worse if she quarreled with the younger girl.

Alexander sighs, giving Margaret a glance that conveyed how sorry he was for his sister, Margaret simply nodded in understanding.

Patrick entered the carriage, closing the door behind him and sitting next to Margaret, and their trip to Scotland began.

**October 12, 1503**  
_Hampton Court_

Let it be known that Margaret Beaufort was a cunning woman and that Henry VII really had no choice but to follow his mother's wishes and get married again.

His mother had been pressuring him to choose from the women she had chosen for him, and it was almost the end of the month.

He glanced at the portrait of the woman he chose, then at the letter he wrote.

He chose the one that was least likely to accept, after all, his mother couldn't bully foreign royals into marrying him, correct? 

Henry let out a sigh of relief, he hoped that this would blow up in his face.

As a servant approached him, he gave the boy the letter and whispered in his ear where the message was supposed to go.

The boy's eyes widened considerably before he nodded and went off to deliver the message.

Henry sighs in relief and summons his mother, and Margaret Beaufort comes immediately.

"What is it Henry?" Margaret asks, narrowing her eyes slightly, "Have you chosen already?"

Henry sighs, and he nods.

Margaret looked absolutely delighted, "Well, which one?" She asks, excited to meet her new step-daughter, which hopefully would be better than Elizabeth of York.

She did get along with Elizabeth of York sometimes, but she was a bit too rebellious for Margaret's tastes, she was hoping for someone more mellow now, more easy to mold and bully to do what she wanted.

He points at her portrait.

"Her." He says, "I want her."

Margaret's smile fades away.

**November 27, 1503**

Charles sat at a chair in front of a desk in his house, glancing at a letter from Elizabeth Boleyn, who was pregnant with his child.

He was too scared to open it, fearing what the answer may be, after all, his marriage to Anne Browne, his first wife, was still new, and their daughters, Mary and Anne Brandon, were still newborns, and If he had a son with Elizabeth...

He took a deep breath and opened the letter, reading what it contained.

######  _Lord Brandon,  
  
It is my greatest pleasure to announce to you that my husband, Thomas, and I have birthed our third child, a lovely little daughter named Anne Boleyn, much like the name of your wife.  
  
I am pleased to say that you are my daughter's godfather due to your everlasting kindness towards me and my children as well as your wife's grace towards my family.  
  
Best wishes,  
Elizabeth B._

Charles sighed in relief, a girl, a little girl, he had a daughter once more, he wouldn't have to worry about a bastard son, thankfully, he wouldn't have to worry about Thomas Boleyn thinking of his bastard son as a spare, no, he had a daughter and had nothing to worry about.

A daughter. His daughter. Anne Boleyn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1056 words
> 
> god the writing for this chapter is horrible. im so sorry.  
> its just that online classes are starting soon and im kinda worried about that uwu.
> 
> side note: hooray! theyre going back to scotland, how fun.  
> and yeah, henry's gonna marry someone that margaret doesnt like lmao.
> 
> thanks for reading! please leave a comment and kudos!


	7. The mistress, the child, and the wife

**January 12, 1504**  
_Stirling Castle_

Margaret stood still in front of a window, in awe as she gazes amongst the garden in Stirling Castle, this was her first time in Scotland, and she was amazed at how lovely it looked, thought for her, it paled in comparison to the beauty that England was, though Scotland did have it's own charms.

"Am I interrupting?" A voice behind her asks.

Margaret turns around and her eyes widen at what she sees, she certaintly wasn't expecting this. It was a handsome man that spoke, and behind him was a lovely maiden.

"Why- James, you're here?" Margaret asks, her eyes glued to the form of a man that was far older than she was.

James smiles, "Why yes, my lady, I apologize for not coming to meet you," He murmurs, his expression showing that he was truly apologetic, "But surely my eldest children have kept you company, correct?" He adds rather inquisitively.

Margaret purses her lips, "Yes, they have, Alexander is rather kind and I absolutely adore little Margaret," Then she pauses, unsure of what to say about Catherine, for James was her father and he surely would not accept someone bad-mouthing his preciois daughter, even if it was a princess, now his wife and queen. "And Catherine- oh, Catherine is lovely!" She exclaims, the final statement was false, but Margaret was a great enough liar to make it seem like reality.

James nodded, "That's great," He murmurs, seating himself in Margaret's bed, the maiden behind him stayed standing, observing Margaret with sharp and keen emerald green eyes.

She swiftly sat next to him, "What brings you here?" She asks, "Surely, there must be some reason aside from simply seeing your wife..." Margaret reasons, averting her eyes as she looks to the side, away from both the king and the maiden's gaze.

"You assume a lot," James muses, amusement clear in his tone, "I came here to see you, after all, you are my wife, but I also came here to inform you what lands and houses in Scotland you possess." He admits.

Margaret looks at him, nervous, "And what lands and houses are in my possession then?" She asks, and in the corner of her eye, she still sees the maiden.

James smiles, "Of course, Stirling Castle is a given, you live here already, but there is also Methven Castle, Doune Castle, Lithlingow Palace and Newark Castle, all of those are under your possession."

"All of it?" Margaret raises an eyebrow.

"All of it." James confirms, "After all, only the best should be given to my wife." He gives Margaret a kiss in the cheek as he stands up, "I must take my leave now," He murmurs, opening the door and exiting her room.

The maiden looks away from Margaret and turns to leave, but before she can, Margaret speaks, "May I know your name?" She asks, curious of the maiden that seemed to dislike her.

The maiden turns around, emerald green eyes glinting in amusement, an undertone of hatred beneath it, "I'm Margaret Boyd." She simply says, before following James and closing the door behind her.

Margaret stiffens. She has a feeling that Catherine won't be her only enemy in the Scottish Court.

**February 1, 1504**  
_Greenwich Palace_

Catalina's screams filled the halls of Greenwich Palace as Arthur paced back and forth in front of her room.

"My lady, just one more push, the baby is almost here." Maria says, comforting the Spanish Infanta as she screams and pushes, the pain of childbirth being too much.

"I- I can't, it's so painful-" Catalina panted, closing her eyes as she gives one more push, the midwives assisting her.

Maria comforted her, "It's gonna be okay, Catalina, you can do it, just one more push and your son will be here, your heir." She whispers, making sure that the midwives didn't hear what she said.

Catalina took a few labored deep breaths and screams as she gives another push, and a cry that wasn't hers ringed across her chambers.

She smiles in relief, finally, her son was here, he was here! She had done her duty!

A blonde midwife rocked the wailing child in her arms and looked at Catalina with a smile.

"Your Highness, Congratulations, You have given birth to a healthy daughter!"

Her smile fades and her eyes widen.

No. A daughter? She was meant to have a son!

"I'll let the Prince of Wales know."

No... Arthur couldn't know of this, he could not!

She exchanges a frantic glance with Maria, who's somber eyes stared at her, as if it could comfort her.

The door opened, and there stood Arthur in all his glory, the midwife handed him their daughter, their should have been son, and she wonders how he could have been so happy, because instead of a promised son, their destined heir, he was given a daughter instead.

"She is lovely, Catherine," Arthur compliments, staring at awe in their lovely daughter. "Have you thought of a name yet?" He asks.

"Isabella." Catalina murmurs, feeling numb, "after my mother." 

Arthur frowns, "It's too spanish, Catherine, she's England's first princess, what about Isabelle instead? It's the anglicized version." He suggests.

Catalina tenses, because her daughter was a spanish princess too, "Fine." She replies, "Isabelle it is."

If Arthur didn't like how she acted, he didn't say, he merely looked at his newborn daughter, and he smiles.

"Isabelle Tudor."

**February 19, 1504**  
_Hampton Court ___

__A lovely woman with dark brown hair walked on the halls of Hampton Court, not bothering to look at the gossiping ladies and courtiers._ _

__The double doors opened and she was graced with the glaring face of Margaret Beaufort and the smug expression of Henry VII._ _

__She was the same age as the king, no doubt already infertile, yet she was honored, that the king of England would reach out to her, would marry a widow with only two daughters, both of which already married and had refused to come with her to England._ _

___("She was not an option, Henry!")_ _ _

____The herald nervously glanced at the mother of the king before he hesitantly announces her name and station._ _ _ _

____"Your Majesty! May I present to you, Her Royal Highness, Princess Hedwig Jagiellon of Poland and Lithuania, Dowager Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut!"_ _ _ _

____As soon, as she was announced, Hedwig waltzed in._ _ _ _

____She stops in front of Henry and Margaret and curtsies, "Your Majesty-"_ _ _ _

____Margaret glares at her as she rises._ _ _ _

____Hedwig merely smiles._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1084
> 
> sorry for the late update! i had some issues and the original draft got deleted so i had to remake the whole chapter, it may seem weird at a few parts cause i didnt have the whole thing memorized lololol.
> 
> side note: yes margaret boyd was james' mistress and the mother of both alexander and catherine, shes definitely a wild card, at first i wasnt going to have her here actually but well things change lmao  
> i was actually debating if i should give catalina a girl or boy, i decided that giving her a daughter would make her more humble and stuff, so naturally shes pissed that she has a daughter and not a son, but not to worry catalina will come to cherish her daughter and accept it even if it isnt a son  
> and hedwig wasnt supposed to be here too but i decided that henry vii would probably choose someone that his mother didnt and hedwig seemed a likely option uwu uwu
> 
> once again, thanks for reading, please comment and leave a kudos!


	8. Anne de Valois

**May 16, 1504**  
_Château de Plessis-léz-Tours_

If it weren't for the Salic Law, Anne would be queen. She knows that, her mother had said it to her countless of times when they were alone.

Anne of Brittany would come in the middle of the night and hug her young daughter, whispering in her ear-

"You should have been queen."

It is etched in her mind, what she should have been, what she is not, and what she will never be.

Anne de Valois looks at her reflection in the mirror, her bright blonde hair so similar to that of her mother's, contrasted with the dark brown eyes that was the only thing that marked her as Charles V III's daughter, as the last person in the direct Valois line.

She is six years old and betrothed to the second son of England's king, to Henry, Duke of York, a boy seven years her senior. She is six years old and her husband-to-be is twelve, almost thirteen.

She is bound to go to England in two years to get used to the chill, she would be eight then, and so far from her beloved mother.

Anne would marry Henry in five years, she would be eleven then, and her husband-to-be would be eighteen.

Anne de Valois should be the queen of France, but instead, an upstart cousin of her father takes the throne and marries her mother, he deigns to send her away to England years before her marriage, he dares to marry her to a man not meant to be king.

She knows why, Anne is intelligent, after all, her mother made sure she had the education of one meant to rule, her older brothers died in childhood or infancy, so in their place, Anne was educated to be a dauphin, despite her gender.

Her stepfather sends her away because she is a threat to him, she comes from the direct Valois line, her claim is stronger, despite her being female. He dares not marry her to someone meant to be King, that would mean she would get an army, her husband might use her claim to dethrone him and claim France.

It would explain a lot of things! Her mother's frequent visits to her, always ending in tears. Her mother rarely cries and Anne knows that her stepfather is to blame for it.

Later that morning, her mother enters her room, a lady, Anne's closest friend, following her.

"My darling Annette!" Anne of Brittany exclaims, embracing her eldest surviving child, "How have you been, ma petite fille?"

Anne brightly smiled, and she exclaims, "I'm alright, maman, ça va bien!"

Anne of Brittany looks relieved, and she kisses Anne's forehead, "How fortunate," she murmurs, before glancing at the lady that had followed her, "Louise, can I trust you to take care of my darling daughter?" She asks.

Louise de Montmorency nods, she looked as serious as she could, which was difficult for an eight year old. Her father, Guillaume had allowed her to escort the princess to France, after all, It was her brother Anne that would be the heir, not her.

Anne glanced at her mother, an inquisitive expression on her face.

Anne of Brittany merely smiles, "I need to do something, dearest, I won't be back until tomorrow, do listen to your governess, will you?" She rises and walks toward the door.

Anne opens her mouth, she wants to speak, yet she cannot, she is used to this, her mother always seemed to be in court or with Claude, and she feels like a relic long forgotten, a thing of the past, her father was dead and sometimes, it seemed like she had died with him, seeing as her stepfather made sure to exclude her at every chance he got.

She used to be Anne de Valois, the golden princess, destined to be great, to marry a king and be the queen, but now, she is nothing.

Anne of Brittany leaves. Anne de Valois refuses to weep. Louise de Montmorency watches on.

_Palace of Fontainebleu_

Anne of Brittany is like a storm, as soon as she walks in, the gleeful courtiers are silenced, and her husband, Louis, puts their five-year-old daughter, Claude, down, her governess immediately leading her away from what she assumes may be a fight between the two monarchs.

Her silent judgement, the way her eyes conveyed disappointment was rather obvious, and she was relieved that her youngest daughter was not in the room to witness what was happening.

"Anne," Louis started, staring at his wife with a look of contained anger and slight inquisition, "Que se passe-t-il?"

She almost laughs then, at how he feigns innocence like he isn't tearing a mother and daughter apart.

"You have decided to send my daughter to England years before her marriage," Anne retorts, unable to contain her anger, "That is what's going on, cher monsieur!"

Louis sighs, as if this was a mere disturbance, "She needs to get used to the chill in England, Anne, and you know that." 

Anne is taken aback by his calm demeanor, but nonetheless, she says, "My Annette is still a young girl, my lord, I beg of you-"

"That is it, Anne!" Louis shouts, "What I have decided is final and you must accept it, I am your King!" He retorts, looking furiously at his wife.

"But I am your Queen!"

Louis sucks in a breath, and he calmly says, "This conversation is over, nothing that you will say will ever sway me. Annette will be going to England in two years time, be lucky that I did not say next week." His words may seem calm, but his eyes conveyed anger as he glared at Anne before leaving the room, presumably to go to his daughter, Claude.

As the King of France leaves, the queen openly weeps infront of the french court, she falls to her knees and buries her face in her hands, letting out a guttural cry, and in the corner of the room, the ambitious Louise of Savoy watches on, eyes narrowed.

Normally, Louise of Savoy would be delighted at her rival's failure, she had no son and was losing the king's favor by protecting her and Charles' daughter, but the mere idea of marrying Anne of Brittany's eldest daughter to an english prince was just wrong.

Louise turns around and heads towards a place that was less crowded, where no one could hear whatever she says, and her husband, Charles of Angouléme followed her.

"I respect King Louis, I really do, but the decision of sending Princess Anne to England is rather stupid." Louise hisses under her breath as they walked.

Charles glances at her, confused, "Don't you despise the Princess Anne and her mother?" He asked.

Louise nods, "Of course I do! Any child that Princess Anne or her mother bears is a threat to Francis," She turns around to look at her husband, "You know that, Charles." She harshly says.

"Calm down." Her husband merely replies, "It will do us no good if you do not calm down."

She took several breaths before saying, "Anne of Brittany won't give birth to a son, I know it," She murmurs, "The Duchy of Brittany will fall in the hands of Princess Anne, who by then will be married to an English Prince, who will become the Duke of Brittany."

Charles frowns, "Would you rather Francis be married to Princess Anne instead, then?"

Louise grits her teeth, "Oh, I don't know, I'm certain they won't accept it anyway," She takes a deep breath, "All we can do is hope that Princess Anne dies childless, If she does not, the Duchy of Brittany will be England's domain during Francis' rule." Louise started shaking her wrists, "And if Princess Anne has a son, they might claim France for themselves, our son would never rule!"

"Don't worry," Charles says, wrapping his arms around his wife as he whispers into her ear, "We'll make sure it will never come to pass, Francis will rule, our son will be France's King." He reassures her.

They stay there, Charles hugging his wife from behind and Louise planning and planning and planning.

Elsewhere, Anne had just finished her studies, and was heading to her room, Louise behind her, chattering incessantly, yet unbeknownst to them, a scheme against her mother and her had come to fruition and was close to being enacted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 1406 words
> 
> ahh, i was looking forward to this chapter because it introduces an important character, henry's bethroted, anne of france.
> 
> i almost gave up on this chapter because it was so hard to write lolol


	9. Author's Note

Ah, yes, author notes, my greatest fear when reading.  
I am truly sorry for the lack of updates this few months, but I swear I have a good excuse. My classes have recently started and I've been super busy because of it, and the chapters that I had pre-written were deleted and I was a bit sad about it and lost some passion to write.  
Though, while brainstorming fic ideas, I decided to try and rewrite all the chapters that I lost again, I'll be updating this fic again very soon, most likely next week, and I'll be changing my uploading schedule from twice a week to once a week, thanks for understanding!

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: prinxessass
> 
> **CAST**
> 
> _margaret beaufort - born in 1441, king's mother, countess of richmond and derby, mother of henry vii of england_
> 
> _elizabeth of york - born in 1466, married to henry the seventh (1486), children are: prince arthur, princess margaret, prince henry, princess elizabeth, princess mary, prince edward, prince edmund, and princess katherine | dies giving birth to princess katherine_
> 
> _henry the seventh - born in 1457, married to elizabeth of york (1486), children are: prince arthur, princess margaret, prince henry, princess elizabeth, princess mary, prince edward, prince edmund, and princess katherine_
> 
> _arthur tudor - born in 1486, prince of wales, son of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, the heir apparent to england, married to catalina trastámara of aragon_
> 
> _margaret tudor - born in 1489, daughter of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, married to james the fourth of scotland_
> 
> _henry tudor - born in 1491, son of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, duke of york, betrothed to anne of france  
>  elizabeth tudor - born in 1492, daughter of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, no bethrotals at the moment_
> 
> _mary tudor - born in 1496, daughter of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, no bethrotals at the moment_
> 
> _edward tudor - born in 1498, son of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, duke of somerset, died in infancy_
> 
> _edmund tudor - born in 1499, son of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, duke of somerset, no bethrotals at the moment_
> 
> _katherine tudor - born in 1503, daughter of elizabeth of york and henry the seventh, dies in infancy_
> 
> _catalina of aragon - born in 1485, daughter of isabella i of castille and ferdinand ii of aragon, full name is catalina trastámara, married to arthur tudor, prince of wales, is currently catherine, princess of wales_
> 
> _anne of france - born in 1498, daughter of charles viii and anne of brittany, full name is anne de valois, betrothed to henry tudor, duke of york_
> 
> _james iv of scotland - born in 1473, son of james iii of scotland and margaret of denmark, full name is james stewart, married to margaret tudor, princess of england_
> 
> _patrick hepburn - duke of bothwell_
> 
> _alexander stewart - born 1493, son of margaret boyd and james stewart_
> 
> _catherine stewart - born 1495, daughter of margaret boyd and james stewart_
> 
> _margaret stewart - born 1497, daughter of margaret drummond and james stewart_
> 
> _james stewart - born 1499, son of janet kennedy and james stewart_
> 
> _janet stewart - born 1502, daughter of isabel stewart and james stewart_
> 
> _elizabeth boleyn - born in 1480, currently married to thomas boleyn, mother of mary boleyn and george boleyn_
> 
> _charles brandon - born in 1484, currently married to anne browne, father of anne brandon and mary brandon_
> 
> thanks for reading my story! the current schedule for updates is once a week, though it will change eventually.


End file.
